The curriculum was developed with a mixture of philosophies and the planning, instruction and assessment is also impacted by different ideologies and pedagogy. For planning, there is backward planning, with specific academic goals to attain and lead to instruction and assessment. There is a focus on planning from specific learning outcomes and educators implementing specific planning and instruction based on it. It enables more authentic instruction and student performance (Hayes, 2003). As a result, it will help students develop deeper understanding, reasoning, and skills (McMillan, 2014). Educators will have a pedagogy that is appropriate with those learning outcomes and assessment, which could be inquiry learning. For inquiry learning, student voice and choice are utilized for effective and engaged learning. Students are involved in the planning and learning becomes relevant to the learners. Furthermore, it provides students with a more authentic pedagogy and assessment. The assessment will become a mix of feedback, including self-assessment as less “objective” to allow student to showcase development of cognitive skills and abilities (Shepard, 2000).
There is an emphasis of student-oriented pedagogy within planning, instruction and assessment when implementing the curriculum. This was one of the main differences between the two diagrams about curriculum. The curriculum was designed by policy makers while the curriculum in the classroom incorporates the voice of educators, administrators and students. There is a focus on teacher and student relationship, where student voice is considered within the classroom and learning. When the curriculum was designed, there was a lot of imposed philosophy, politically and economically, which is aligned with standardized tests. However, there was less negotiation at the local levels and incorporation of the students’ learning and engagement. Education became a very systematic and mechanical system, preventing any organic development and local variations (Hayes, 2003). As the curriculum has evolved, there is more shared understanding and common language within the local levels, which enables teachers to adapt, plan and create goals aimed at specific curricular goals and assessment that is appropriate for their community.
From understanding the philosophies and how curriculum was developed to understanding and exploring the planning, instruction and assessment related to it, it is visible with the BC curriculum. It was first developed with big ideas, overarching concepts, and ideologies. Then, it goes into specific content and curricular designs. The Principals of Learning from the BC curriculum are
Learning requires the active participation of the learner
Learning is both an individual and group process
People learn in varying ways and different rates
The curriculum encourages teachers to have a shared vision for learning and foundation for action (Hayes, 2003). This shared vision enables teachers to provide curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation that is more appropriate to the learners and the specific curricular goals, while providing more authentic learning and interaction. Students are curious and want to learn more when in an environment that encourages them to ask questions and spark interests. Students require constant support but require skills and systems that support and respond to their daily struggles and engagement at school.
To support student’s learning at school and within the community, the BC curriculum created Core Competencies to accompany the curriculum. The Core Competencies were developed to align with the curriculum, which includes intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies to help support curriculum and assessment systems and to engage students who are lifelong learners. In schools, students are encouraged to participate in self-reflection regarding the Core Competencies, to encourage “student’s responsibility for own learning” and “make relationship between teachers” (Shepard, 2000). Students complete self-assessments and self-reflection to increase student’s responsibilities for their own learning and to receive feedback about their performance, which would lead to self-correction and continuous improvement (Shepard, 2000).
Although BC embraces the ideology of having a “shared vision for learning and foundation for action” when creating a curriculum and curricular goals, there continue to be difficulties (Hayes, 2003). Educators and policy makers have different visions and understanding. In the BC curriculum, there is a broader ideology and ideas that allows locals to have more shared understanding. They align their purpose to the learners to create a more meaningful alignment for the students, resulting to more authentic learning and skills that are applicable outside the classroom.
The assessment standards are the same within BC, but the language is different within the local language. In Richmond, the reporting language is emerging, developing, proficient and extending while in Vancouver, the reporting is beginning, developing, applying, and extending. The change in reporting language shows a shared vision for learning, with a different approach in feedback language. The language may be different, but the standards and common vision are the same. Furthermore, planning is also impacted by curricular goals and standardized learning. For example, in BC, grade 4 and 7 students were required to do the FSA (foundation skill assessment tests). Although they don’t record the scores, it does affect the planning and instruction for the classroom. They play a part in the BC curriculum and the planning. Similarly with the provincial examination for grade 10 and 12 students in Math and English. Learning becomes focused on standards and skills for the examination, with specific curricular goals in planning, instead of focusing on student’s learning.
-- Just the new diagram is below
References:
BC's Curriculum (2023) Provincial Assessments. Province of British Columbia. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/provincial/assessment
EdCan Network. (March 11, 2013) The Power of Student Voice to Enhance Teacher Practice. [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/61528845
EdCan Network. (2014) A Teacher's P.O.V. on Starting Inquiry-based Learning in the Classroom. [Video]. Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/85470752
EdCan Network (Aug. 31, 2011) John Ralston Saul: Where is the Standardized Testing Trend Taking Us? [Video]. Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/28412154
Hayes, D. (2003) Making learning an effect of schooling: aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 24(2), 225-245
McMillan, J. H. (2014). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction (6th ed., pp. 1-20, 57-64,74-88). Boston, MA: Pearson.
SD69 Qualicum. (2019). Communicating Student Learning K-9 Learning Guide. https://www.sd69.bc.ca/school/OES/Documents/FAQ%20Regarding%20Student%20Reporting.pdf#search=reporting
Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14. doi:10.3102/0013189X029007004
TED (May 13, 2013) Sir Ken Robinson: How to Escape Education’s Death Valley. [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc
UnionStayshyn. (July 29, 2010) Ursula Franklin interview with The Current on CBC Radio (Part 1 of 2). [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzJyDxI_S30
UnionStayshyn. (July 29, 2010) Ursula Franklin interview with The Current on CBC Radio (Part 2 of 2). [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UJkrZ396VI
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